“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” ~~Joseph Campbell

It is Memorial Day week-end, and as I write this blog post, my thoughts are with the family and friends of the brave soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country.  Whether or not you agree with the wars we have gotten ourselves into, there is no doubt that the men and women who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are the heroes of our time. They are fighting for our freedom, and that got me thinking..

How should we who are left behind honor their service? What would make our freedom worthy of their sacrifice?

There are so many ways we can use and abuse that freedom.  We can choose to eat well, exercise regularly, and manage our stress…or we can over-indulge and use drugs and alchohol to avoid our demons. We can choose to do work that we love, that makes a difference in the world…or we can stay in a dead-end job and complain about our bad luck.  We can read and write and share life-affirming literature…or we can while away the hours with mindless TV and video games.

We have those choices because others have fought and died for them.  Nobody can tell us what to choose, and nobody but us is responsible for their consequences.

As we go through the golden days of summer, I plan to keep our fallen heroes in mind as I make choices.  I intend to choose health over instant gratification, passion over security, and joy over pain.  I intend to give with a generous spirit, and touch as many lives as possible.

In the words of Joe Vitale, I plan to “dare something worthy” with my life…something bigger than myself, that will leave the world a better place than I found it.

To all of our fallen heroes, I intend to honor your courage and sacrifice by becoming the hero of my own life.  May your souls rest in peace.